Back plate for locks



Dec. 14, 1954 s. SEGAL BACK PLATE FOR LOCKS Filed Iamh 3, 1953 1 llll I! Ill-wall United States Patent BACK PLATE FOR LOCKS Samuel Segal, New York, N. Y. Application March 3, 1953, Serial No. 339,957

4 Claims. (Cl. 70-370) The present invention relates to improvements in locking devices for doors and the like and, more specifically, to a new and improved back plate for securing a cylinder lock or the like to a door or to any other object. A back plate is a substantially flat member adapted for being inserted between a latch casing and the inner side of a door and having recesses in its edge portions adapted for extending therethrough bolts by means of which the latch casing is secured to the door, said plate also having perforations for extending therethrough a tailpiece connecting a cylinder lock to bolt operating means in the latch casing as well as a pair of parallel screws extending from the back of the lock. In the hitherto known back plates the perforations through which are extended said screws are a pair of round holes of a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the heads of said screws, so that only the shafts of said screws can be extended herethrough. Thus a mechanic when installing a cylinder lock on a door with one of the hitherto known back plates hadfirst to insert the lock into an aperture in the door from the outer side thereof with the tailpiece extending from the lock through said aperture, and then he had to extend a pair of screws through said round holes in the back plate and through said aperture and carefully align the back plate and the lock in such a manner that the shafts of the screws could be screwed into a pair of threaded holes in the back portion of the lock, so that upon tightening said screws the back plate could be tight- 1y attached to the inner side of the door while a ring member at the front of the lock was being forced upon a portion of the outer side of the door surrounding said aperture. This aligning of the back plate is a time-consuming, difficult task, requiring skill and patience on the part of the mechanic, and one object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which reduces to a minimum the time, efifort screws from the lock.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which has the sameoutline and the same perforations as the hitherto used back plates and is distinguished from the latter only by the presence of additional perforations for facilitating the installation of the lock as hereinbefore referred to, so that existing dies for manufacturing the hitherto known back plates can be transformed at a small expense into dies for manufacturing my new and improved back plate. Thus the back plate can be used for facilitating the installation of locks as well as for the installation of locks according to the old, more complicated method used with the hitherto known back plates. The provision for using one and the same back plate for both the old method as well as the new method, which new method has been made possible by the present invention, is deemed to be desirable in order to overcome any objections which oldtime mechanics may have to the new method, and yet also to facilitate the installation of locks to such an extent that it can be carried out with a minimum of skill, effort, and patience in the shortest possible period of time.

2,696,726 Patented Dec. 14, 1954 when attached to the inner side of a door concealing the back plate;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the door with the lock, the back plate and the latch casing loosely attached thereto;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the inner side of he door with the back plate in a preliminary position; an

Fig. 4 is a plan view as Fig. 3 with the back plate in its final position.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing the numeral 2 denotes a portion of a door provided with an aperture 4 into which is extended a cylinder lock 6, whose front portion is provided with a ring member 8 resting against the outer side of the door 2, and from whose rotary plug 10 extends backwardly a tailpiece 12 through a back plate 14 into a latch casing 16 to engage therein operating means to actuate a lock bolt. The casing of the lock 6 is provided with a pair of internally threaded holes into which are screwed the threaded shafts 18 of a pair of screws whose heads 20 rest against that side of the plate 14 which faces the latch casing 16. The latter is attached to the door 2 by means of bolts 22, extending into holes 24 in the door 2. The elements 2, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20 and 22 form no part of my present invention, which relates only to the plate 14.

My new and improved back plate 14 may be shaped peripherally in the same manner as the hitherto known back plates, and has recesses 28 in its edge portions through which the bolts 22 can be extended. The plate 14 is provided with perforations 30, 32, 34, and 36, which are in spaced relation to each other. The perforations 30 and 32 have parallel longitudinal main portions 38. The main portion 38 of the perforation 30 terminates at a circular end portion 40 which is larger is diameter than a screw head 20, and the main portion 38 of the perforation 32 terminates at a substantially enlarged circular end portion 42, which is so dimensioned as to allow the tailpiece 12 as well as a screw head 20 to be extended therethrough and the tailpiece 12 to be rotated therein along its longitudinal axis.

The width of the main portions 38 of the perforations 30 and 32 is larger than the diameter of a screw shaft 18 but smaller than the diameter of the screw head 20, so that only the shafts 18 can be extended therethrough. The main portions 38 preferably are substantially parallel to each other, and the perforations 30 and 32 are located in the plate 14 in such a manner that in a preliminary position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the recesses 28 are out of registering alignment with the holes 24, the tailpiece 12 and one screw head 20 can be extended through the perforation 32, while the other screw head 20 is being extended through the portion 40 of the perforation 30. Thus a person installing a lock can first screw the outer extremities of the shafts 18 into the lock 6, insert the latter into the aperture 4 and place the plate 14 loosely upon the screws in the position shown in Fig. 3. Thereupon he shifts the plate 14 into its final position, as shown in Fig. 4, thereby sliding the main portions 38 of the perforations 30 and 32 around the screw shafts 18 and causing the tailpiece 12 to extend substantially through the center of the end portion 42 of the perforation 32. After this simple operation has been completed the screws can be tightened, so that the screw heads 20 will force the plate 14 against the door 2 and firmly secure thereto the plate 14 as well as the lock 6. Finally the latch casing 16 is secured to the door in the usual manner by means a of the bolts 22 extending through the recesses 28 into the holes 24 in the door 2. a

While the use of the perforations 30 and 32 greatly facilitates the installation of a lock, theperforations 34 and as allow a mechanic to install 'a lock in'the hitherto used manner. If 'thefplate 14 isturned one hundred and eightly degrees around its longitudinal axis, the perforations 34 and 36 are in registering alignment with the screw shafts 18, which can be extended therethrough and, after aligning the plate 14 to the lock 6, can be screwed into the latter. The'diameter of the perforations 34 and 36 is smaller than the diameter of the screw h Since certain changes may be made in "theabove article and difierent embodiments of the invention'co'uldbe made without departingfrorn the scope thereof, it is "intended that all matter contained in the above description 'or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific feaures of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope'of the invention which as amatter of language might be said to fall therebetween. p g

Having thus fullv described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A back plate for a latch casing comprising a plate adapted for being inserted between a latch casing and the inner side of a door and having perforations for extending therethrough a tailpiece connecting a cylinder lock to bolt operating means in the latch casing as well as a pair of parallel screws extending from the back of the lock, said perforations being in spaced relation to each other and having parallel longitudinal mainportions each of which terminates at a circular end portion, thecircular end portion of one of said perforations being so dimensioned as to allow the head of one of said screws to pass therethrough while the circular end portion'ofanother perforation is so dimensionedas to allow said tailpiece as well as a head of the other one of said screws to pass therethrough, and the longitudinal main portions of said perforations being reduced in width to suchan extent as to allow only the shaft portions of .said screws to pass therethrough, said perforations being located 'insaid plate in such a manner that first said tailpiece and the heads of said screws can be extended through 'the circular end portions of the perforations and that thenthe plate can be shifted into a position in which the shafts offs'aid screws extend through the mainportions of said perforations while the tailpiece extends through the'center section of the end portion of the second perforation.

2. A back plate for a latch casing comprising a plate adapted for being inserted between alatch casing and the inner side of adoor and having recesses in it's"edge portions adapted for extending therethrough bolts by means of which the latch casing is secured to the door, said plate also having perforations for,extending therethrough a tailpiece connecting a cylinder lock to bolt operating means in the latch casing as well as a pair 'of parallel screws extending from. the back 'of the lock, said perforations being in spaced relation 'to each other and having parallel longitudinal main portions eachjof which terminates at a circular end portion, the circular end portion of one of said perforations being so dimensioned as to allow the head of one of said screws 'to pass therethrough while the circular end portion of another perforation is so dimensioned as to allow said tailpiece as well asa head of the otherone'of said screws to pass therethrough, and the longitudinal main portions of said perforations being reduced in width to suchan extent as to allow only the shaft portions of said screws to pass therethrough, said perforations being located in said plate in such a manner that in a position of said plate in which said recesses are out of registering alignment with said bolts said tailpiece and the heads of said screws'can be extended through the circular end portions of the perforations and that upon shifting of said plate into a position in which said recesses are in registering alignment with said bolts the shafts ofsaid screws extend through the main portions of said perforations while the tailpiece-ex- 4 tends through the center section of the end portion of one of the perforations.

3. A back plate for a latch casing comprising a plate adapted for being inserted between a latch casing and the inner side of a door and having recesses in its edge portions adapted for extending therethrough bolts by means of which the latch casing is secured to the door, said plate also having perforations for extending therethrough a tailpiece connecting a cylinder lock to bolt operating means in the latch casing as well as a pair of parallel screws extending from the back of the lock, said perforations being in spaced relation to each other and a first and a second one of said perforations having longitudinal main portions each of which terminates at a circular end portion, the circular end portion of the first one of said perforations being so dimensioned as to allow the head of one of said screws to pass therethrough while the circular end portion of the second perforation is so dimensioned as to allow said tailpiece as well as a head of the other one of said screws to pass therethrough, and the longitudinal main portions of said first and second perforations being reduced in Width to such an extent as to allow only the shaft portions of said screws to pass therethrough, a third and a fourth one of said perforations being circular and'of a diameter as to allow only the shafts of said screws to be extended therethrough, said first and second perforations being located in said plate in such a manner that in a position of said plate in which said recesses are out of registering alignment with said bolts, said tailpiece and the heads of said screws can be extended through the circular end portions of said first and second perforations and that upon Shifting of said plate into a position in which said recesses are in registering alignment with said bolts the shafts of said screws extend through the main portions of said perforations while the tailpiece extends through the center section of the end portion of the second perforation, and said third and fourth perforations being located in said plate in such a manner that upon turning said plateone hundred and eighty degrees the shafts of said screws can 'be extended through said third and fourth perforations while said tailpiece is extended through the circular end portion of said second perforation.

4. A back plate for a latch casing cornprising a plate adapted for being inserted between a latch casing and the inner side of a door and having perforations for passing therethrough a pair of screws extending from the back of a cylinder lock as well as a tailpiece connecting said lock to bolt operating means in the latch casing, said perforations having longitudinal main portions each of which terminates at an enlarged end portion, the enlarged end portion of a first one of-said perforations being so dimensioned as to allow the head of one of said screws to pass therethrough while the enlarged end portion of a second perforation is so dimensioned as to allow said tailpiece to rotate freely therein, and the longitudinal main portions of said perforations being reduced in Width to such an extent as to allow only the shaft portions of said screws to pass therethrough, said perforations being located in said plate in such a manner that first said tailpiece and the heads ofsaid screws can beex'tended through the enlarged end portions of the perforations andthat then the plate can be shifted into a position in which the shafts of said screws extend through the main portions of said perforations while the tailpiece extends through the center section of the end portion of the "second perforation.

References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED "sTATEs PATENTS 

